Vehicle-tire.



No. 865,028. f PATENTED SEPT. 3.1907, y' G. o. rANKBoNm VEHICLE TIRE.APPLICATION FILED 00T. 29. 1906.

, pointed out in the claims.

' In the accompanying drawings `Figure l is a side" 20 elevation of aportion of a. wheel embodying my inven- 55 to the Wheel.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE o. FANKBONEE, oF CLEVELAND, oHIo.

v VEHICLE-TIRE.

- To all 'uihom it may Beit that 1, `(luenen O. Fsnxsonsn, a citizenoithe'United'St, residing at Gleveland, in the countyof Cuyahoga andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in,Vehicle- Tires,'an d do declare that the following isa full, clear,

and enact'description ofA the inventioxnwhichk will enable othersskilled in the art to which itappertains to, make and use the same.:

. lMy'invention ielates to vehicle wheels, and the invention consists ina. wheel which is so constructedpas to provide an effective substitutefor the ordinary pneumatic tire so far as resiliency or cushioningAeffect is I' -con'cerned, and which has enceptional durability and ican be repaired inranyportionthereof without affect# Ving thereriminingportions ofthe wheel or tire, all substantially as sho'wn anddescribed.- andparticularly tion, and Figs. 2 to 9 inclusive are detailviews y of the'separate parts entering into the construction of theinvention, as will vhereinafter more specically appear.

'fl-he invention as thus shown is applicable to what i ,25 may otherwisebe regarded asacommon form of vehicle wheel having spokes 2,'wood'en orequivalent elly 3 and steel tire 4, and with width of treadcorrespondingto the kind oivehicleinz which the invention is used, and it-may beassumed that anl automobile wheel is the 3U 'typeunder presentconsideration. r

Now, in carrying out my invention, I employ a special construction ofboth elly and tire, -or modify said parts to adapt my inventiontheretoin this, a series of holes or openings 5 are formed in or through saidelly and the tire at uniform intervals about fthe same,

. and in such relatively near relation'as to receive the tire units orsettings arranged in said holes or'openings substantially as shown andconstituting together a complete working tiieafiording a continuity otread 40 like tires ordinarily.v The said several tire units or membersare alike in `construction,and operation, so that` a description of oneapplies equally' to all.' Each unit, also, is composed of a perfectlysolid rubber shoe 8, Fig. 8, circular in cross section and provided witha flange 7 about its linner edge which is overlapped outside by aSpanner ring 13 threadedvnto so-called cup 12, Fig. 4, adaptedito carrythe shoe'and in which the shoe has more or less play as more or lessweight comes thereon in the tread. The said cup orholder for the shoe5t) is fixed rigidly-in place against or upon tire 4by`means of socketmember 15, Fig. 5, which 'projectsthrough :hole or opening in thewheelrim and has anouter flange 16 overlapping and clamping tightly uponinner ange 1 7 on cup 12 whereby said cup rigidly secured The saidsocket member- 15 4isipreferably closed at its inner end )o excludedustmnd moistilfe;

Specilcation of'Letters Patent.A sppnbguon and oiber 29, 1906. serialNo. 341,044.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

and fits snugly in opening 5. In addition said memIV ber 15 projectsthrough said opening 5 far enough t0 fixnut 18 thereon nextto felly 3 ofthe wheel, where an interposed washer'19 may take the immediate bearingof the nut as the said socket member is tightened thereby on the wheel-Thus a casing or shelll is formed out of said two rigidly fixed parts 12and l5'for the other or moving parts o f the invention and which arewholly confined *within said casing except as shoe 8 projects throughthe same at the treadoi the wheel. Obviously said casing or shell thusconstituted of two parts might be made in one part and` serve mypurpose,-

Now, order to cushion` the tire shoes and get `ther'efrom the effect andvalue substantially oa pneumatic 'tire, or ,its equivalent, in generalspring effect and ability to absorb impact oiobstructions encountered byythe wheels, I provide each shoe with a suitable place a preferablyhollow plunger 21, Fig` 6, thereon,

-and which is long enough to project into 'cup l2 under all conditionsof operation.- Said plunger is adapted so f `spiralspring 20 located inthe bottom of socket l5 and to playwithin the wall of socket l5 and adisk or plate 22, 'Fig 7 is located betweensaid plunger and the in-y`ner surface of shoe 8, so that said shoe has its direct bearing againstor upon said disk while thedisk itselt` bearsagainst the said plunger.Here again the twoparts may be made in one `and serve my purpose, andthe said two parts 21 and 22 practically constitutethe plunger for theshoe and are so regarded herein. L The said disk is shown asv having acentering projection 24 seated in plunger 2l and this projection may bcof still greater length so as to hold the disk against possible tiltingin respect to the plunger.

Normally springs 20 will hold shoes 8 relatively as.

.are not easily injured (and which can be individually repaired orreplaced Without changing any other part ofthe tire.

4 Onesreason for making the casing comprising parts 12 'and 15, andplunger comprising parts 2l and 22 iny two pieces each insteadvofone, isthat 1 wish to have them as light as isy compatible with the service tob e rendered, and separateparts enables lne tomake them of drawn steel,thus keeping down both `bulk and weight.

Frm one point of viewmy new and improved tire is constitutedexclusivelyby seriesof junits out of which it is formed and which operativelyreplace or take the place of :t continuous tire like the ordinarypneumatic tire7 but from another point'of view the rim of the wheel iscomprised'in the tire as it constitutes an operative part therewith.However, the said units :ire seperate complete articles of manufactureand sale and are supplied to the trade as such. These units of coursecomprise the shell, the plunger, and the shoe,l The shell, as such, hastwo diameters or is differential in cross section, and is also round orcircular in cross section, as shown, and the meeting portions of theshell forni shoulders against the tire to take the load. The rim of thewheel referred to herein comprises the felly and the tire.

The construction showny throws fall lthe pressure of the loud upon theperiphery of the wheel rim so that nut l2 perforinsno oflice but to keepthe parts securely on the wheel. I

Shoe 8 may he entirely of rubber or a rubber cap built upon :t met-alpiece which will fit and slide within cup 'i2 What I cluim is:

l.. ln spring cushioned wheel tires, a unitary uiemher comprisingr 'ushell of two diameters, :1 shoe :idupted to take thc (resul ol' ihewheel locutcll in the lurser pnrt of Suid shell und u plunger undsprint; behind siid shoe in the slnuller purt of the shell. sziid portsconstructed to be removed unil replaced together.

scopes pliinger-zbearing against said shoe.

31 A unitary member of :i4 spring tire having a shelll of two diametersand threaded 'about its inner portion a. shoe removably engaged in theouter portion of said shell :ind u plunger and spring behind said shoe.

4. A unitary member of@ spring tire consisting of a two piu-t shell ofdifferent diameters, a shoe confined in the larger of snid portsnnd: aspring pressed plunger for the shoe projecting into the smaller' of saidparts, in combination with a wheel rim having snid shoe outsidethereof,y

und means to secure said shell in the rim.

An outer wheel rim, shells of two diameters at intervals mountedremovably in said rim from the outside and having shoulders bearingagninst the outside of snid rim,

:rnd spring shoes mounted in the outer portion of saidshells und adapted'to yield inwardly under pressure G. Thewheel rim having a metallic tireabout the same,

' in combination with a series of mountin'gs-in said rim comprisingdifferentially shaped shells projecting through the sume from theoutside and fastened on the inside otA GEORGE O. FANKBONER.

Witnesses:

It. B. Mosnu; it. A. .KntrcnML

